Christophe Baron Les Alouettes Brut Nature Magnums NV

Christophe Baron Les Alouettes Brut Nature Magnums NV

Christophe Baron
$309.00

Grape: Champagne
Vintage: NV
Type: Sparkling

From four distinctive vineyards in Champagne's Marne Valley, vigneron Christophe Baron is initiating a production process he calls "Champagne de terroir." Baron asked Claude and Lydia Bourguignon, world-renowned soil scientists, to study these parcels on the hillsides of Charly-sur-Marne, Crouttes-sur-Marne, and Porteron. They found significant variability covering all the geological stages found in the Marne Valley. Claude and Lydia declared, "It is a palette and mosaic of soils uniquely suited to his unique approach." Pinot Meunier is the traditional grape variety of the Marne Valley and is the most adapted to this region to highlight and distinguish its richly diverse terroir. For these reasons, Baron has chosen to grow and vinify only Pinot Meunier. With a philosophy of "single vineyard, single vintage, single grape, and no dosage," Baron aims to create four unique and distinctive Champagnes from each of his vineyards. This brilliant champagne has the same level of depth and concentration as the scintillating 2018 and displays a hare more than the '17. It is already a joy to drink in terms of weight, salty presence, and wet stone character. On the mouth, you are greeted with a juicy core of salted melon and citrus fruits with nutty accents. With more air, this comes into its own, reveling in its saline-drenched character. This beauty needs a decant if savoring in its heady youth.

Christophe Baron is a visionary French vigneron known for his pioneering work in creating exceptional, terroir-driven wines in both Washington's Walla Walla Valley and his native Champagne region. His approach combines respect for the land with minimal intervention winemaking, resulting in highly sought-after, expressive, and age-worthy wines. Returning to his family roots, he produces site-specific, single-vintage, zero-dosage Champagnes from very old, estate-owned Pinot Meunier vines in the Marne Valley. In the cellar, Baron relies on natural fermentation with native yeasts and uses little to no new oak. The goal is to allow the character of the vineyard to shine through without masking it.